


Freedom is Love

by Mewzers



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Underground Railroad, Ex-Slave Eren, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person Limited, Slow Build, Underground Conductor Levi, switches between Levi and Eren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-11
Updated: 2015-03-14
Packaged: 2018-02-24 22:50:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2599421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mewzers/pseuds/Mewzers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren is a slave who escapes from the slave-owning “titans” and runs away with his friends Armin and Mikasa. Levi is part of the Scouting Legion and is responsible for helping slaves escape from the horrendous enslavement by the “titans.” With the help of Levi, they arrive at Shinganshina, the safe haven for escapees like them. The 3 friends initially thought that they were free, but when they fill out a form without really knowing what it was about, they realize that they unintentionally signed up for the 104th Trainees Squad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Free at Last!

**Author's Note:**

> AU in which Levi is an Underground Railroad conductor and Eren is a slave escaping from his owners, the “titans”.
> 
> The story starts some time in the 1800’s. Some parts of the story are really similar to the official plot...sorry T.T

The darkness was filled with the heavy panting of the escapees and the soft rustling of the forest floor. Otherwise, it was a relatively silent night. As he ran, he tried not to think about the horrors behind him. He could imagine them carrying their dim lanterns, their heavy boots trampling on the dry leaves beneath them as they yell at the dogs to work faster. Just like they did to him.

A cry of pain from Armin startled Eren from his thoughts. “Armin, are you alright?” the brunet asked worriedly as he turned back and rushed to Armin’s side.

“Hey brats, don’t you remember what I said? Don’t stop running until you reach the checkpoint, no matter what.”

Eren looked up and glared at the speaker.

“In fact, you’ve just ran backwards. How much of an idiot do you have to be to run backwards in this type of situation?”  

“A concerned one,” the teen retorted.

Eren turned his attention back to Armin and supported him up from the ground. “Hey, we’re almost there. Just bear with the pain for a little more,” he gently said.

Armin nodded and they trudged on through the darkness of the forest.

~~~~~

“Look, we’re here. We’ve made it, Armin!” Eren cried in relief. “We’re free!”

Through the faint glow of the lantern, Eren saw Armin smile a little. Mikasa, on the other hand, just stared at Wall Maria with an unrecognizable look.

“Oi brats, don’t get so excited. We’re not safe yet.”

Great, Eren thought miserably, that man just always had to ruin their happy moments. What does this man want? Does he obtain his twisted type of happiness from their pain?

“Glaring at me won’t change the situation, brat,” the man deadpanned.

He flashed his lantern three times to the top of the wall and waited. Suddenly, the door to Wall Maria opened with a loud rumble.

“Let’s go.”

~~~~~

The four of them walked through the empty town. All the shops were closed and locked for the night, and they created a sort of abandoned ambience to the place.

“Are you still following me, stupid brat?” the man asked.

“Of course I am! It’s not like I’m here to sightsee on my own,” Eren snapped.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Your skin is just so dark compared to the other two,” the man remarked. “For a second, I lost you in the darkness.”

Anger boiled inside of Eren, but as he was about to throw down his belongings and attack the short man with all the energy he had left, Armin started laughing.

Eren looked at Armin quizzically, puzzled by his strange behavior.

“All this tense atmosphere that we’ve created around us...Mr.Conductor was just trying to break it,” Armin laughed. “Really, we should stop being so tense. As you said before, we’re free, right Eren?”  

Eren stopped frowning and thought about what Armin said. It’s true, the brunet thought. We are free now, free from the “titans.” No longer were they his masters and no longer was he their servant. Eren sighed and gave Armin a smile. “Sorry, you’re right.”

The brunet then turned to the conductor and began, “Look, I’m sorry for being such a spoil sport, but why did you pick me to be the butt of--” but was rudely cut off.

“We’re here. Now, don’t freak out when a hyperactive lady with shitty glasses pounces on you, okay?” the conductor warned.

The man proceeded to knock on the door and the three friends waited silently, fearing what was going to come out of that door. Suddenly, the door swung open and out came a hyperactive lady with glasses.

“Oh my! More ex-slaves! You sure are good at your job, Levi!” Hanji screamed as she opened her arms to embrace him.

Levi, Eren thought. So that was his name.

Now looking at Levi in a brightly lit room, Eren found him quite...attractive. The man’s healthy pale complexion matched with his raven black hair. It was beautiful. Levi was beautiful.

“Oi brat, what are you staring at?”

His voice snapped Eren back to reality. The brunet sheepishly looked down at his feet and murmured, “Nothing.”

“Tch. Hey Hanji, where is Erwin?” Levi asked.

“He went out with Nile just a few moments ago. I’m surprised you missed them.”

“Well, they _are_ both very tall with very long legs and long strides,” the raven-haired man muttered. “I’ll be surprised if I _do_ meet them.”

“Anyways,” he continued, returning back to his normal, bored voice. “Hanji, bring out the registry.”

“You’ve got it!” Hanji exclaimed. She bounced joyfully out of the room.

Levi rubbed his temples and sat down on the chair next to the fireplace. Unsure what to do, the three escapees just stood there. When Levi realized why the room was so cold even though the fire was still burning in the fireplace, he snapped his fingers at them and barked, “What are you brats doing, standing there and acting stupid? You’re letting the cold air in.”

The three friends waddled into the room and Armin gently closed the door behind them. “Um, Levi sir? What are we doing here?” Armin asked meekly.

“ _‘We’_ are waiting for the registry book,” Levi answered nonchalantly.

“What is that?” Eren inquired.

“It’s a record,” Levi replied.

“Of what?”

“Why do you need to know, brat?”

“Of course I need to--” Eren shot back, but was cut off by Hanji slamming the door open. Why was he always being cut off today?

“Here ya go, guys! Please fill this out!” Hanji requested, forcing a pen and a piece of paper into the trio’s hands.

“What is this?” Eren demanded. “Why?”

“Because I said so,” Levi said calmly.

“Fuck that!” the brunet yelled. “Give me a better reason to--”

“Come on, Eren. Let’s just fill it out,” Armin urged.

Even you too, Armin, Eren thought in disbelief. Why is everyone trying to interrupt him today?

He looked to Mikasa for support, but she was already filling out the piece of paper. Grumbling, Eren picked up his pencil and started filling out the form. After he finished scribbling his information, he reluctantly gave it to Hanji. With a victorious yelp, she jumped and pumped her fist into the air. “We did it, Levi” she cried.

“Did what?” Eren panicked.

Levi, for the first time since they met him, smirked at them. “Welcome to the Underground Railroad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: There was a man named Levi Coffin who was given the sobriquet “President of the Underground Railroad” because many slaves passed through his house during the time of the Underground Railroad. In fact, his house was nicknamed the “Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad.” The more you know. *rainbow*


	2. Love Birds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Armin acquaint themselves with Reiner and Bertholdt. They also get to learn more about Hanji.

“Here is your room, Eren and Armin. Be sure to get along with your roommates!” Hanji chirped cheerfully. “Mikasa, you’re over there in the girls’ dormitory. Let’s go!”

When Hanji and Mikasa were out of earshot, Armin turned to Eren and asked, “Um, Eren? What do you think about this Underground Railroad business?”

The brunet smiled and replied, “I’m ecstatic, truthfully. I've always heard about the Underground Railroad from the whispers of the other slaves, but I never imagined I would be part of it.”

He clenched his fist. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of this organization…”

“I hear a ‘but’ coming,” Armin poked.

“But that introduction was shit.”

Armin laughed as he opened the dorm door. “I can’t say it was good, but enough about that. Let’s meet our new friends.”

The duo entered the room with their belongings clutched firmly in their hands. After all, who knew what might happen to them in the room. However, when they saw their new friends sitting on the top bunk playing cards like civilized people, they relaxed a bit. Although the two guys on the bunk bed were humongous compared to Armin and Eren, they seemed like the friendly type.

Especially the black-haired one, Eren thought.

“Hey! We’ve got company!” the blond one exclaimed.

“H-hey!” the black-haired one followed weakly.

“Hi there,” Eren smiled as he waved to them. “Are those bunk bed on the opposite side ours?”

“Yeah. In fact, that whole half side is yours,” the blond one responded.

“Great! I’m going to unpack now,” Armin stated.

As he started unpacking, Eren noticed the injury Armin received while escaping.

“Hey,” the brunet began, directing his attention to his new roommates. “Do you know where the infirmary is?”

“It’s in the main building, first floor, to the right, the room on the left at the end of the hall,” the black-haired one answer in one breath.

The blond one slapped him on the back and beamed at his friend. “You’ve got it all down, man!”

“That’s because of you and your carelessness,” taller one quietly murmured, his face becoming bright red.

Oh, Eren thought. I see. Seems like I stumbled upon a love nest. Well, I have something to do, so I guess I’ll leave them alone for now.

He thanked his two roommates and dragged an unwilling Armin downstairs to meet the doctor. Armin kept insisting that he was alright, but Eren wanted to be sure.

“Eren, really, I’m fine,” Armin claimed frantically. “It’s just a superficial scratch.”

“No, it’s not,” the brunet argued back. “It’s bleeding.”

He knocked on the door to the infirmary and a voice on the inside bellowed, “Enter.”

Armin and Eren looked at each other, and Eren was beginning to rethink his decision.

“Seriously, guys. There’s no need to be afraid of me. I was kidding when I used my super ultra manly voice on you. Please, do come in,” the voice chirped happily.

Oh no, Eren thought. That voice sounded awfully familiar.

He quickly opened the door and was greeted by a lovely surprise.

“Hanji?!” Eren yelled incredulously.

“Now, now. Don’t seem so surprised. Do you not see the face of a prodigious doctor when you look at me,” she asked jovially.

“More like a mad scientist,” Armin murmured.

“Anyways, what can I help you guys with?” Hanji asked again, this time with concern in her eyes.

“Armin received a cut from while coming here. He says the scratch is only on the surface, but I swear I saw blood dripping down his legs when I supported him up during the escape,” Eren informed Hanji.

“Armin, let me see your battle wound,” Hanji joked.

Armin reluctantly pulled up the hem of his poorly manufactured pants and showed Hanji his “battle wound.”

“The scratch is nasty,” Hanji commented when she examined the wound. “But don’t worry. I cleaned up your battle wound and wrapped it with bandage. Now, you’re good as new!”

“Thanks, but I must have wasted your time,” apologized Armin.

“Not at all,” Hanji reassured him. “Helping someone is never a waste of time.”

“Thank you so much,” Eren bowed as he thanked Hanji for her assistance.

“Wow! Japanese style, eh? You’re so cute, Eren,” she giggled. “Make sure you guys don’t forget to take a bath. As for Armin, try not to dip that bandaged leg into the water and you’ll be fine!”

~~~~~

“This was the best bath I’ve ever taken,” Armin stated when the duo were back in their dorm and lying on _actual_ beds.

“My first bath here was heaven as well,” Reiner confessed, staring at Bertholdt.

Bertholdt coughed and started turning red.

Right, Eren thought moodily. This room is the lovebirds’ love nest. Their sexual innuendos are going to be a part of my daily life. Might as well get used to it.

“So, do you know what we do here for training?” Eren curiously prodded.

Armin looked shocked and embarrassed at the same time. “Eren, sense the mood!”

Reiner chuckled. “It’s okay. Maybe we are the ones who should be more wary. Anyways, I heard that we’re doing hand to hand combat training tomorrow.”

“Great!” the brunet exclaimed excitedly.

He couldn’t wait to have his first attempt at kicking ass.

“Great,” Armin moaned as he pulled the blanket over his head.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: Underground Railroad conductor Levi Coffin married a woman named Catherine. Catherine...erine...Eren...
> 
> Do you see it? Do you? No? Oh. I'm sorry.
> 
> Next chapter, there will be more interactions with Levi and Eren.


	3. Fighting Palpitations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hand to hand combat training commences...now!
> 
> Also, Jean makes his wonderful appearance as the god of peace. 
> 
> JK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! A bit of Ereri interaction! T^T I'm so happy I got to write this chapter.

Before he escaped that abominable prison, he would always eat the leftovers given by his owners; steaming hot food wasn’t in his menu. However, for the first time in his life, he was gobbling down warm meat and vegetables. This was heaven.

“Hey, hey! Don’t eat so fast. You’ll choke,” Reiner commented as he watched Eren slurp down his food.

As if on cue, Eren choked on the bread he was swallowing. He coughed and tried to wash it down with water.

“Eren, are you okay?” Mikasa asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” the brunet replied, embarrassed at his current situation. Choking on your food isn’t a pleasant feeling, but it’s hella funny to the people watching. That is, if you don’t die.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Eren, if you’re hurting anywhere, I can take you to the infirmary. Eren, answer me. Eren, please don’t ignore me. ”

“Yes, Mikasa, I’m fine!” the tanned teen yelled, annoyed by her over-protecting personality. “I’m old enough to take care of myself.”

“Hey, you can’t yell at a girl. That’s rude.”

The voice made the brunet whip his head around and glare at its source. “And you’re rude for butting into our business,” Eren retorted.

“And I just said that it’s rude to yell at a girl. I didn’t butt into your business or anything,” the brown-eyed teen smirked.

Feeling all the eyes in the room on the two, Eren began to panic and growled, “Oh yeah. Wanna go?”

As he stood up, Mikasa tugged at his shirt. “Eren,” she started, but the teen with the light ash-brown hair cut her off.

“Hell yeah. Let’s go!”

Ignoring Mikasa’s pleading eyes, Eren charged at his opponent. However, Mikasa, being the superhuman she is, was quicker to her feet than Eren was to punching Jean. She grabbed the brunet by the waist and heaved him over her shoulders.

“Let me go, Mikasa!” Eren demanded, but the stoical teen pretended she didn’t hear him.

“Ha ha,” the opponent sneered. “What a loser!”

“Shut it, horse-face,” Eren snarled.

“Horse-face?” he echoed. Suddenly, realizing that the whole room was snickering, he turned to Eren and tried to degrade the brunet with his inarticulate comeback. “Y-you shut it, you l-loser! I’m going to--”

“Jean! Please! Stop it!” cried his freckled companion.

“Shit…” Jean mumbled as he retreated back into his seat.

Ha, Eren thought as Mikasa carried him off.

Serves him right.

~~~~~

The surrounding was filled with the grunts of people being thrown to the ground and the whimpers of the injured.

As he walked through the training ground, Levi groaned. “These trainees suck.”

“Yes they do,” agreed Keith. “Especially those two over there.”

The bald man marched over to the two trainees who were fooling around and grabbed them by their ears. “Why is it always you two I catch messing around?” Keith thundered. “This is the last time. Next time, you’ll lose your dinner privilege.”

“We were forced into this! This is not fair,” Sasha cried.

“Actually, I volunteered,” Connie admitted.

“Well, not me! My parents forced me. They said it was for the better of the world. How is this better for the world?” Sasha wailed.

Levi shook his and walked away from the scene. “I hope this isn’t a waste of time,” he muttered.

~~~~~

On the other side, Eren and Reiner were having a fierce battle with each other.

Reiner threw a punch at Eren’s face, but Eren moved to one side. He grabbed Reiner’s arm and used the bigger man’s momentum to fling Reiner to the ground.

“Wow Eren,” Reiner breathed in awe. “You’re quite good!”

Eren shrugged and replied, “I watch and learn.”

“Is this your first time fighting?” Reiner asked.

“Ha ha. No,” Eren confessed sheepishly. “I’ve had brawls with the other slaves before.”

Reiner gave Eren an impressed look. “No wonder why!”

As Eren helped Reiner to his feet, Keith walked onto the salient platform in the middle of the field and yelled, “Attention! Everyone, gather!”

When everyone’s eyes were on their instructor, Keith continued. “Levi is taking time away from his life to teach you miserable runts how to fight.”

“Miserable runts…” Eren mumbled.

“Levi, who did you choose to be your punching bag for this demonstration?” Keith asked loudly.

Levi looked at the crowd surrounding him and pointed at Eren. “Brat, get up here.”

Every single pair of eyes turned and stared fearfully at the brunet.

“Me?” Eren squeaked.

“Yeah you,” Levi replied impatiently. “Who else do you think I’m talking to?”

Eren slowly climbed the steps and proceeded with caution towards Levi. When he reached the raven-haired man, Keith jumped off the platform. “Whenever you are ready, Levi.”

Levi nodded and changed his stance into his fighting stance.

“Come at me brat. However, I won’t go easy on you,” Levi warned.

“This brat has a name,” the brunet informed his second opponent of the day. “It’s Eren.”

“And do you think I give a shit?” Levi asked phlegmatically.

Eren charged at Levi. “I’ll make you give a shit when I’m done!” the younger man yelled.

The raven-haired man smirked and dodged to one side as Eren threw a heavy punch towards Levi’s chest. “Don’t do that. You’ll be filled with openings, brat,” Levi calmly suggested as he executed a low roundhouse kick to Eren’s shin.

Eren cried and stumbled forward. Once he regained his balance, the brunet turned around, only to be met with a dropkick from Levi. As Levi tried to kick the fallen teen, Eren quickly rolled away and got back onto his feet.

Levi raised an eyebrow and for a split second, Eren swear he saw the man smile. “Stubborn, aren’t we?” Levi sneered.

“There’s a reason why I’m known as the ‘Suicidal Bastard.’” Eren responded..

Levi smirked. “Of course.”

With that, the older man charged at Eren.

I’m going to get you this time, Eren thought confidently. You’re the one that’s filled with openings.

Suddenly, Levi disappeared from Eren’s sight. What the, Eren thought, but his thought was cut off. In an instant, Levi was next to him. The raven-haired man performed a leg sweep and threw the brunet to the ground.

All the air left Eren’s lungs the moment he hit the floor, and the impact of Levi’s knees on his stomach left the brunet literally breathless.

“Get off,” Eren growled as he tried to fight off the man pinning him down.

Instead of freeing the pinned teen from his knee, Levi leaned down and whispered into his captive’s ear, “Not bad... _Eren_.”

With that, the raven-haired man released the brunet and addressed the whole squad. “104th Trainees Squad, I hope this demonstration exhibited the power of a ‘titan.’ My fighting skills are on par with their soldiers. If you can’t defeat me, you can’t defeat them. I hope the next time I come, you will all be diligently training, unlike today.”

When he finished, Levi walked off the platform. Keith roared a “dismissed” and followed the shorter man to the main building.

While the two men walked away, Armin and Mikasa rushed to Eren’s side.

“Eren! Are you alright?" Mikasa asked anxiously. "That shortie didn’t go too far out of line, did he? If he did, I swear, I will--”

Eren laughed while clutching his aching stomach. “It’s okay, Mikasa. Thanks for worrying though,” he replied sincerely.

As his two friends examined him just to make sure he was really alright, Eren’s large emerald eyes trailed off to watch Levi enter the building with Keith.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the people who read, kudo'd, bookmarked, and commented on this work. It means a lot to me. ヽ(；▽；)ノ


	4. Frenemation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry in advance. This chapter has no plot movement whatsoever. Just a chapter about friendship and frenemation (creation of frenemy). And it's REALLY short. Sorry. But the next chapter... (￣ω￣)

“You were amazing out there, Eren!” Marco praised as he set down his tray beside Eren’s tray and sat down.

Eren blushed and and replied, “Thanks. I still lost though.”

Marco gave him a smile. “Don’t fret about it. No one can beat Levi. Not even Annie.”

Mikasa abruptly stopped munching on her bread and swallowed. “Annie? You mean the blond girl I was fighting with today?”

The freckled teen nodded. “Yeah. She’s an all-rounder; a Renaissance woman when it comes to training.”

Mikasa acknowledged this silently and went back to eating her bread.

“Oh? Do I hear our childhood friend being talked about behind her back?” asked a playful voice.

Eren and Marco turned their heads around and was greeted by Reiner’s smirking face.

Marco laughed nervously and responded, “Don’t scare me like that, Reiner. Also, we weren’t saying anything mean, so I don’t think it’s exactly talking behind Annie’s back.”

“No matter. Whoever talks about someone without him or her knowing is a jerk.”

“Speaking of jerks,” Eren cut in, “why is horse-face sitting with us?”

Jean glared at the tanned teen and snarled, “Zip it, loser. I’m not sitting with you. I’m sitting with Marco.”

“Same difference.” Eren rolled his eyes.

Jean stood up and slammed his hands on the table. “Hey! Shut it or I’ll shut it permanently for you!”

Eren jumped up and yelled back, “Okay, bring it on, horse-face!”

As he said that, a hand shot towards Eren’s sleeve and pulled on it. “Eren…” Mikasa warned.

The brunet looked at Mikasa with a glint in his large green eyes and begged, “Don’t stop me this time, Mikasa! He’ll get what he deserves!”

With that, he charged at Jean.

“I’m going to make you drop to your knees!” Jean cried and lunged at Eren.

However, at the last second, Eren stepped aside and watched as Jean took a swung, missed, and fell to the floor due to the excessive momentum he created while trying to punch his opponent.

Eren smiled triumphantly and taunted, “Who’s on their knees now?”

Suddenly, the air became colder and from behind the creaking door, a glowing eye appeared from the darkness.

“What was all the commotion?” Keith asked darkly.

Without hesitation, Mikasa pointed at the girl in the ponytail and answered, “She farted.”

“Huh,” Sasha whimpered.

The room was silent.

Keith groaned and admonished, “How many times do I have to tell you to eat slower? The only reason why you always have an indigestion is because you eat too fast. The next time this happens, you won’t be receiving any food.”

When the door slammed shut, the whole room all simultaneously sighed in relief. All except one trainee.

“Pfff…” went Connie.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will definitely have Ereri moments! ^.^ 
> 
> BTW, I don't know whether this will be explicit or not. I'm going slowly start developing towards that direction, but...
> 
> Thank you to all the people who read, kudo'd, bookmarked, and commented on this work. It means a lot to me. ヽ(；▽；)ノ


	5. Shots Fired

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, those two dorks. One is too hot-headed and one is too afraid to reveal his kinder side. 
> 
> Also, I don’t know anything about guns, so if any info is wrong, I’m sorry.
> 
> This chapter gets a little touchy, so...

The day after, the trainees were sent to the shooting range to practice their shots. Unfortunately for Eren (or at least that’s how he felt), he was standing all the way in the back, so when the instructor passed out the revolvers, he would be one of the the last ones obtaining the revolver. As he lined up to receive his firearm, Levi and Mike walked in with Keith.

Suddenly, everyone in the room straightened up and held their breaths in fear.

“Wow,” breathed the blond standing next to him, shocked at the sight of Levi. “Captain Levi is here today. He usually never comes to our shooting sessions.”

Eren’s sparkling and curious green-eyes trailed after Levi. “Is there something special today?”

Reiner shook his head. “Not to my knowledge.”

Keith walked to the front of the room, his boots stomping heavily each time they met with the floor. When he stood still to inspect the trainees, the room was eerily silent.

“Attention!” Keith roared. “We will begin our training session. You three newbies over there, come with me.”

Oh, Eren thought. Now I see why Levi came. He has to train us _newbies_.

Reiner gave an encouraging smile to the brunet and lightly slapped him on the back. “Hey, good luck! You’ll need it.”

“I don’t need good luck, especially not from you.”

“Ouch. Harsh. My feelings are hurt.”

“Have Bertholdt soothe it for you.”

With that, Eren left a tinting red Reiner behind to meet up with his other two friends.

~~~~~

“So, why did I have to be put with a brat like you?”

“Don’t blame me, blame Instructor Shadis.”

“If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have been paired up with you.”

“And I wonder who was the one that forced me into signing up?”

“Shit.”

“That’s right.”

Levi groaned and Eren smiled a little small, victorious smile. When he was with Armin and Mikasa, he rarely won any arguments. Armin was too eloquent and Mikasa was too scary.

“Fine,” Levi conceded. “I’ll put up with your crap, but only for today.”

“Great! So, first off, is this how you hold a revolver?” Eren gripped the revolver with both his hands, thumbs wrapped over each other.

Levi inspected the teen’s hand and, with an impressed expression, replied, “Not bad for a first-timer. Now, try shooting the target over there.”

The brunet nodded and looked at his target. Fifteen meters away stood a straw dummy with two bulls-eye - one on its face and one on its heart. After carefully examining the dummy, Eren squared his shoulder to the target, took aim at its head, and fired. The first bullet hit the bulls-eye, leaving the teen to believe that beginner’s luck actually did exist.

“Tch.”

Eren turned around sharply and stared at Levi. “Excuse me?”

The older man’s face remained emotionless as he answered, “Nothing. Keep going brat. Shoot the remaining five bullets.”

Eren did as he was told and was presented with another six bullets. When he was done firing the newly provided six bullets, Levi had a mysterious glint in his eyes.

“Fifty percent on your first round. I’m actually quite impressed.”

The teen’s eyes lit up. “Really?” he asked excitedly.

Levi tch’d and growled, “What are you getting so excited for?”

Suddenly, another 2 set of six bullets flew in Eren’s direction.

Eren caught it, albeit fumbling a little.

“Here, 12 more bullets for your stupid amusement. If you can beat your high score, you don’t have to clean the dining room today,” Levi proposed.

Eren looked at Levi, surprised at the proposition. “Can you really do that?”

The raven-haired man looked annoyed. “Of course I can. Now, hurry up and shoot.”

Eren pumped his fist into the air. “Alright! I’m going to beat 6 this time!” he enthusiastically yelled .

Levi smirked and walked to the bench placed behind the brunet. “Good luck, brat.”

Eren smiled and replied, “I don’t need good luck. Especially from you,” and fired.

As the brunet fired, he noticed that the older man was standing quite a distance away from him. However, when he was on his last bullet, Eren realized that his instructor standing extremely close to him.

“Hey Eren,” Levi murmured into teen’s ear. “If you make this shot, you won’t have to clean the dining room.”

Eren covered the ear the older man was whispering into and blushed furiously. “I know, so please stop it, Captain Levi! You’re ruining my focus!” the brunet protested.

“So?” Levi purred as he removed the boy’s hand and guided it back to the revolver. “Who said I can’t play dirty?”

Eren bit his lips. “You…you better stay back,” he warned. “I might hit you on accident because of the recoil.”

“Oh?” Levi raised an eyebrow as he moved only inches away from the teen and put on an amused face. “That’s okay. I think I prefer standing right next to you. It’s more interesting this way.”

Eren glared at the older man. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He steadied the gun in his hand and aimed it at the target’s head. Okay, I better make this shot count, Eren thought anxiously. If I don’t hit the bulls-eye, I’m going to have to clean the dining room, which is always a disaster by the end of the day. I’ve got this.

The brunet reassured himself that everything was going to be alright and pulled the trigger…

…just as Levi grabbed his butt. Eren squealed and ended up firing the bullet onto the ceiling.

The shorter man chuckled and headed out the door while the teen stared at the bullet in disbelief. Infuriated, Eren turned around and snapped, “You purposely messed me up!”   

Levi looked back at Eren and grinned devilishly. “Who said I can’t play dirty?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the people who read, kudo'd, bookmarked, and commented on this work. It means a lot to me. ヽ(；▽；)ノ


	6. Kiss, Kiss, Fall in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren accidentally shares the horrible experience he had with Levi and things start going downhill from there...well...kind of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Kind of got overwhelmed with school and ran out of ideas. Sorry again.  
> Anyways, anyone watched Shaolin Soccer before?

“Levi…that jerk…grabbing my butt like that…bastard…Imma kill him…” Eren muttered incoherently as he walked to the dining hall with Armin and Mikasa.

“Um, Eren? Are you alright?” Armin asked worriedly. “You’ve been kind of moody after that training session with Captain Levi. Did something happen?”

Eren turned around to face his friends. Obviously they knew nothing, but he couldn’t help and yell, “Of course something happened! Levi grabbed my ass-”

“He what?” Eren’s sentence was cut short by Mikasa’s sudden and terrifyingly oppressive presence.

“Uh, he…” Crushed by the girl’s fury, Eren short circuited.

However, Mikasa didn’t need clarification to remember what Eren had just said. She furiously stormed out of the dining hall and towards the executives’ lounge. Armin desperately tried to deter her from charging straight into the enemy’s den, but Mikasa swatted him away like Empty Hand swatting away a soccer ball. The girl proceeded to kick open the door and glare around the room. Two instructors dropped their bread and foamed at the mouth when they saw her eyes glowing red in the darkness. The others just stared in fright.

“Where is Levi?” she asked in a very low and threatening voice.

“Er…”

“Where. Is. He.”

“Mikasa!” Armin cried as he hugged her from behind and tried to pull her away from the door frame. “You can’t do this! Um, we’re sorry for the commotion. We’ll be going soon!”

“We’re not going anywhere until I see that midget,” Mikasa growled, prying herself from Armin’s grip. “He’s going to get sued for sexual harassment, if that’s the last thing I do.”

“No Mikasa! We’re not suing anyone over anything!”

Suddenly, the door on the other side of the room flew open and Levi, along with Hanji and Erwin, entered the room. The short man surveyed the scene for a short while before asking, “What is going on here?”

Mikasa glared at him and replied slowly, word by word, “You. Touched. Eren’s. Butt."

“Oh?” Levi raised an eyebrow at the glowering teen.

"Without his permission."

Everyone in the room was dead silent as the two people stared at each other, one with a face of an irate parent and one with the face of a bemused serial killer. The two continued to stare at each other until Erwin cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me, miss. If you are going to accuse Levi of anything, please think of a better story. Levi would never…”

“No, I did.”

The whole room gasped and nervously glanced up at the seething girl standing by the door frame. “WHAT?!” Erwin asked dumbfoundedly while Hanji screamed the exact question excitedly.

Levi walked to an empty seat, plopped down and rested his arm on the back of the chair. Obviously, he was taking the situation lightly. “Yeah. It was pretty sturdy and well-shaped for a brat like him. Took me by surprise too.”

“Levi,” Erwin groaned as he buried his face into his right hand. “That is sexual harassment. Please refrain from doing that.”

“As long as it’s not ‘unwelcomed,’ it’s not counted as sexual harassment,” Levi replied calmly and took a sip from the cup that was placed in front of him.

“No, Levi. It’s more like if it’s not consented…” murmured Erwin, unwilling to drag this uncomfortable topic any further.

However, just as Erwin said those words, the victim of the event bursted in and frantically started to apologize to those who were still conscious, “I-I’m sorry for what Mikasa j-just did here! Please excuse us!”

Eren hooked Mikasa’s neck with his arm and attempted to drag her out, but Mikasa wouldn’t budge. She firmly stood her ground and continued to glare at Levi. “What you did to Eren is unacceptable,” she glared while slowly inching her way towards the assaulter.

“Mikasa, it’s okay. I’m not mad anymore. In fact, I’m perfectly fine now! So let’s go,” Eren pleaded, now trying to drag Mikasa back to the door by pulling on her arm.

Still, she continued to walk closer and closer to Levi. Finally, she stopped a foot away from the man and looked down at him, fuming. “You’ve got guts, for someone as short as you are. However, from now on, you’re only going to get shorter,” she threatened, yanking her arm away from Eren’s grasp and rolling up both of her sleeves.

“Wait! Mikasa! What are you going to do?” Armin frantically yelled from the door.

“What do you think I’m going to do?” Mikasa asked darkly. “I’m going to pound some common sense into this midget’s puny brain.” She narrowed her eyes. “After all, he seems to take no responsibility for what has happened.”

Mikasa raised her fist and was about to punch Levi when Eren jumped in front of the man. The raven-haired teen stopped her fist of fury and looked at Eren in shock. “Why are you shielding him? He grabbed your ass and you’re protecting him? The Eren I know would never do that!”

“And the Mikasa I know wouldn’t kill someone over this...insignificant situation!” Eren argued.

“What are you talking about?” Mikasa demanded incredulously. “Remember that one time back in that horrible place? One of our ‘masters’ indecently touched you and you started planning a plot to murder him. I almost would have killed him if Armin didn’t stop me.”

“But that’s because they were ‘titans.’ This is Captain Levi we’re talking about!

“Anyone who does anything out of place to you deserves to die. Anyways, why are you singling-”

“Miss,” Erwin interrupted, “I would like you to please leave before you hurt anyone. Especially our top fighter.”

Levi nonchalantly took another sip of his tea. “Oh, so you think I can’t take care of myself.” 

“I’m not saying that Levi. I just don’t want to take any chances. Not now, at least.”

“You guys can continue your chit-chat...,” Mikasa started as she shoved Eren to the side, “...in the hospital.”

“Wait, miss…”

“Mikasa, no…”

“Wahahaha. This is interesting…”

“...*Sip*…”

“HE’S MY BOYFRIEND!”

Once again, Mikasa’s fist did not meet her target. “What?”

“He’s...he’s my boyfriend,” Eren blushed, looking down on the floor. “Y-yeah. I was a little pissed he didn't warn me beforehand, but that’s all. It’s not a big deal, really.”

“When did this happen?” At that moment, Mikasa’s stare could burn down an entire building in one minute.

“Uh…” Eren began, but Levi cut the brunet off.

“On the first day we met,” Levi answered calmly.

“As I recall though, you two were killing each other with just your fiery gazes…” Armin pondered out loud, but quickly snapped his mouth shut when Eren glared at him.

“Yes,” Levi agreed in a monotone voice. “Our gazes were ‘fiery’ indeed; fiery with passion and love.”

The raven-haired man finished his cup of tea and stood up. “Well, thanks for the entertainment, girl with the fearsome glare and boy with the hair of straws.” Then, the man sauntered towards Eren and stopped in front of the brunet. “As for you,” Levi added, “see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see y-”

But the teen never finished. Levi yanked Eren down and smashed their lips together. The flavor of green tea suddenly exploded in the brunet’s mouth, and left him feeling light-headed. Although there wasn't any tongue involved, Eren felt that he could have melted away by the older man's soft, plush lips. As he reorganized himself from his initial shock, he realized he found the taste quite comforting.

Levi pulled away from Eren and replied smugly to the teen’s startled look, “That was a goodnight kiss, brat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the people who read, kudo'd, bookmarked, and commented on this work. It means a lot to me. ヽ(；▽；)ノ


	7. Look into My Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look into my eyes, and you will see what you mean to me...and some fighting between Jean and Eren.  
> (I just love the lyrics in "I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams. ｡◕‿◕｡ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Jean, so I don't know why I keep making him the bad guy. I'm sorry Jean...but for Eren and Levi's sake, you have to be the bad guy to move the plot along.

After the incident at the lounge, Mikasa watched Eren and Levi like a hawk. During their training sessions together, her eyes never left the two and would constantly glare ferociously at Levi when he turned back to smirk at her. “I better not see anything I don’t want to see; otherwise, the midget over there is going to be mincemeat,” Mikasa had warned the “couple” back at the lounge.

“Indecency is still indecency,” Armin had added.

However, Levi was in his way to break all the rules. He would occasionally lean on Eren’s arms or wrap his own arm around the teen’s waist. The brunet knew better than to avoid the man’s approaches, but sometimes he would flinch and see Mikasa’s eyebrows rise up a little, knowing fully that his actions had raised suspicion in the girl. But, he couldn't help that his captain just…all of a sudden became physically closer to him.

“Don’t worry, brat,” Levi whispered into Eren’s ear as he pulled the teen up from the ground after performing a flawless ippon seoi nage on the brunet. “It’s not that I like you. I just don’t want to deal with the court.”

“And plus,” he continued, glancing over at a furious Mikasa, “scarf girl over there always have the most interesting expressions when I’m with you. What’s your relationship with her?”

“An overly-protective adopted sister. That’s all,” Eren groaned as he rubbed his hurt shoulder.

“She seems more like a mother…or an extremely jealous girlfriend.”

“Neither,” the teen quickly responded. “Although, she maybe is more like a mother than a sister to me. Anyways, can I try to be the person on defense this time?”

“You can, but I’ll still have you pinned to the ground in less than ten seconds,” Levi answered as he moved into his offensive stance.

“We’ll see about that,” Eren grinned and charged at Levi.

That ended him up in the infirmary. “Geez, Eren. You’re quite a fascinating creature, rushing into death without a second thought,” Hanji commented as she bandaged the brunet’s palms. “Just don’t overdo it and really kill yourself. Levi would be depressed as hell.”

“Levi?” Eren inquired quizzically. “Why would Levi be sad?”

Hanji chuckled. “You’re cute, Eren. Cute and naive. Can’t you see it? The flower that bloomed inside him that day?”

“Uh…no? I’m really sorry, Miss Hanji—”

“Just Hanji will do.”

“—but I feel like I’m listening to an alien talk.”

“Oh Eren,” she chortled gleefully as she stood up to put away her medical items. “Do I really have to spell it out for you?”

Hanji stored her bandages into the drawer and hummed happily, “ _Look into his eyes, and you will see what you mean to him_ …Can’t you see? He likes you! No…he _loves_ you!”

“What?” the teen asked dumbfoundedly. “But he told me he didn't want to ‘deal with the court.’”

“Oops!” Hanji covered her mouth. “I think I've said too much. Levi’s going to kill me now.”

Eren didn't think she said enough. He was still pondering over his discussion with Hanji when Reiner bounded over to him. “Hey Eren! I heard you and Captain Levi were dating. Is that true? You and that demon spawn from hell?”

“He’s not that bad…I think. And no, we’re not dating, but keep that information away from Mikasa. This whole situation wouldn't have occurred if Mikasa didn't blow up like she did.”

“Don’t worry,” Reiner assured him. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Good.”

“Although…you know that Jean was standing right behind you when you told me all that, right?”

Eren spun around and stared right into the eyes of his nemesis. “You…!”

“Wow,” Jean smiled triumphantly. “Wait ‘til Mikasa hears what you've just said. She’s going to be pissed!”

“You’re not going to tell her,” Eren muttered, grabbing Jean’s shirt.

“Make me, mop-head.”

“Mop…oh, you’re so on.”

“Guys,” Reiner laughed nervously. “I don’t think we should have a fight in the hallway…”

But the two rivals didn't listen. Eren lodged his fist into Jean’s face, stunning his two-toned hair opponent. The taller teen stumbled back a bit and wiped his mouth.

At this moment, Reiner thought it would be wise to slip away and leave the two hot-headed teens to themselves. 

“Heh," Jean sneered. "Not bad, but I improved as well.”

“Oh yeah?” Eren looked at Jean from head to toe. “Well, in my honest opinion, I think you’re all bark and no bite.”

Jean smirked and charged at Eren. The brunet snorted at his opponent’s choice of leaving himself open and vulnerable to attacks, but quickly frowned when at the last second, the taller teen executed a leg sweep that caused Eren to fall. Subconsciously, he reached out his hands to stop his fall, but the impact between his injured palms and the ground made Eren wince. The momentary hesitation to get back on his feet opened Eren up for attacks, which Jean took advantage of. Swiftly, Jean stomped hard on Eren’s back, prompting the shorter teen to fall flat onto his stomach. Jean proceeded to place one foot on Eren’s back and lean closer to the brunet. “I think you’re the one with all bark and no bite.”

“Shut up and get your stinkin’ foot off my back, horse-face,” Eren demanded as he squirmed, trying to rid his back of Jean’s dirty shoes.

“No can do,” the two-toned hair teen gloated. “I’m currently basking in my long-earned glory.”

“Unfortunately for you, that ‘long-earned glory’ is going to be short-lived.”

The two teens whisked their head around to see Levi at the other end of the hallway rapidly walking towards them. As he came closer, the short man’s eyes narrowed.“Oi, horse-face, get your filthy shoes off him.”

Jean stepped off Eren and stiffly saluted Levi. “I’m s-sorry, sir.”

“You better be,” Levi growled. “Look what you did to my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Jean exclaimed. But I thought this was just a—”

Levi raised an eyebrow and the teen snapped his mouth shut. “I don’t know what this brat told you,” the older man sighed irritably as he slowly walked towards Jean, “but he’s probably just too embarrassed to state it outright. We’re dating, right Eren?”

Eren stood up and swallowed. “Y-yeah. We’re dating.”

“And,” Levi drawled, “if all of this was to find the truth regarding his love life, you've got it now. So fuck off, or I’ll be seeing you in the dining hall after everyone has left.”

Levi’s feet walked up to a petrified Jean and stopped right by the teen’s side. The shorter man then put a hand on the teen’s shoulder and whispered, “One word, and you’ll wish you hadn't. Understood?”

“Understood,” Jean quavered.

“Good. Now go.”

“Y-yes sir!”

The “couple” watched as Jean scampered away into the distance like a dog with its tail between its legs. Amused by the sight, Levi chuckled, but soon realized that Eren’s focus suddenly turned from Jean to him. The raven-haired man spun around and looked directly into the teen’s magnificent emerald eyes. “Out with it, brat,” he ordered, but Eren's mouth made no attempt to move.

Finally, the brunet broke his gaze and stared down at the floor. “What do I mean to you, Captain?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the people who read, kudo'd, bookmarked, and commented on this work. It means a lot to me. ヽ(；▽；)ノ


	8. Facade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those can't be his true feelings, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting for such a long time. School takes its toll and I was clueless on how to continue the story. Still am.  
> Sorry. And sorry for writing such a short chapter. Sorry.

It was good day for Hanji. It was a great day, in fact. First, Moblit returned from his treacherous journey with a bunch of ex-slaves who were all willing to be part of the 104th Trainees Squad, and she couldn’t wait to see them in action. Second, her beautiful medical supplies came in and she was able to bandage up that innocent, naive teen with the big emerald eyes (or was it turquoise, either way it was magnificent, Hanji thought). And finally, she was able to experience first-handedly the love that was blossoming between the new recruit and Levi. “Levi’s never going to admit it though,” she sighed, turning around and around in her swivel chair.

“Admit what?”

Hanji stopped spinning and looked directly at the source of the voice. “Ah, Erwin. I didn’t see you there,” she remarked. “What brings you here?”

The tall man exhaled wearily and sat down in the chair beside the door. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Levi’s situation.”

“Ah, so you think it’s true too?” Hanji squeaked excitedly.

“He admitted to it, didn’t he?” Erwin kneaded his head.

“I know, right? At first, I thought he was joking but now, I’m not too sure.”

“I really hope this doesn’t get leaked out to the public. It’s going to ruin our reputation.”

“Oh, Erwin,” the eccentric laughed. “Stop being so tight…wait.” Hanji frowned. “ _Our_ reputation?”

“If the citizens hear of Levi grabbing a trainee’s butt, what would they think?”

Hanji was confused at first, but suddenly it hit her. Erwin was not here to discuss Levi’s relationship with the teen; he was here to talk about Levi’s butt-fondling incident. She couldn’t believe it. That was the past, and the teenager was definitely not going to sue Levi for touching the booty. What Erwin truly should be "worried" about was the fact that the two were “dating.” That was the bigger issue, and Hanji had to inform him about that.

“Erwin, don’t worry,” the eccentric assured him. “I don’t think the trainee or any of his friends are going to sue nor tell the world what happened. In my opinion, I think we should focus more on the fact that they’re dating.”

“Right, they’re dating,” the blond murmured and buried his face into his hand. “Even more problems for us now. Why the hell is Levi so good at creating trouble?”

Hanji shrugged. “I don’t know. Wasn’t Levi always like that, since you brought him in?”

“I guess. I really can’t read that guy’s mind. Hey Hanji,” Erwin started, but the brunette cut him off by abruptly standing up.

“I’m starving,” she exclaimed. “Let’s go to the dining hall to get some lunch!”

As they made their way down to the dining hall, each silently thought about the events that occurred yesterday (and for one of them, the current day as well). Voices bounced down and through the empty hallway, but it wasn’t until a terrified Jean who charged right past them without even a greeting that caught their attention. Suddenly, the disembodied sounds morphed into audible and recognizable voices.

“Out with it, brat.”

“Oh my gosh,” Hanji whispered. “That’s Levi!”

She peeked around the corner and saw the “couple” standing right in front of each other. One was nervously twiddling his thumbs while the other one stood there…well, his back was turned towards Hanji, but she was sure he was crossing his arms and scowling. “Han–” Erwin began, but the medic slapped her hand over his mouth.

“Quiet,” she hissed, and pointed to Levi. “We have to listen.”

The blond nodded and Hanji took her hand off his mouth. “Wait for it…”

She saw the teen open his mouth, but quickly shut it. Aw, it’s so cute how he bites his bottom lip, the eccentric thought smiling. I wonder if Levi thinks that as well.

The teen opened his mouth again, but this time, words came stumbling out of his lips. “What do I mean to you, Captain?”

~~~~~

“‘What do I mean to you?’ Rather, what do _you_ mean by that?” Levi asked irritably.

“I mean…I just…Hanji said…never mind, sir,” Eren stuttered helplessly.

“What did glasses say?” the shorter man demanded.

“Nothing, sir. Nothing. She just mentioned that you might…” the teen took a step back as if the man was going to swing at him, “...possibly like me. Just a little bit…”

“ _Like_ you?” Levi groaned. “Look, I’m only going out with you because your girlfriend or sister or mother is planning on suing me, and dating you is the only way to avoid her wrath (kind of). How did that four-eyes freak even _think_ for a second that I liked you?”

“I don’t know,” the brunet admitted. “You’re going to have to ask her yourself.”

Levi tch’d and placed his hand on his temple. “Don’t think, even for a second, that I’m willingly doing this, ‘cause I’m not,” he informed Eren.

The teen just nodded quietly. After standing there awkwardly for a few seconds, Levi’s expression softened at the brunet’s defeated face. “That was a bit harsh, and I apologize. However, this is just an act and we’re both aware of that.”

“I know,” Eren replied, disappointment clearly showing. “I’m fully aware that there’s really nothing between us.”

Levi nodded, turned around, and walked away, leaving Eren on his own, embarrassed and bewildered. Even with his back turned, the shorter man could feel the teen’s dejection, and that hurt his heart…bad. Real bad, like "multiple sharp needles prickling and piercing a very soft and fragile object" bad. It was killing his heart. It was killing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the people who read, kudo'd, bookmarked, and commented on this work. It means a lot to me. ヽ(；▽；)ノ


End file.
